Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-24
WEARY OF LIES VT les.
A Young Butcher and Prominent
Lady Suicide.
t ~ Former Seeks n Des8iate spot on
Dreary Night for SelfStranguia-
ion---The Latter. while Mentally
Deranged, Finds Refuge from Pain
with Rough ON Rats


the corner of Fourth avenue and Fiji
tecnth street, made startling discovery
while hunting his cows in Dsvenports
pasture west of SIEVE nteen,h street. and
just north of the old burying ground
about s O'Clock yesterday morning.
Hanging from the limb of a tree he dis
covered the body of human being-a
yoang man apparently twenty four or
twenty-five years of age. 1t was Il case
of evident suicide, and going up to the
form and looking at the face, Mr.. Stau>
bach could see no recognizable feature
the dead man WAS stranger to him. A
handkerchief had been fastened about
the neck and the other end was securely
tied to the limb of the tree and close to
the trunk. The feet were about one foot
and a half from tue ground. There was
nothing about on which the suicide
could have stood while tying the hand
kerchief TO the tree, and it remains
mystery as TO how the deed was accom>
plsbed, unless the suicide climbed up in
to The. tree and then lowered himself
down until the handkerchief had oppor-
tunity 10 do its work of strangula:ion.
The body WAS rigid and cold, and dead,
while the clothes were drenched with the
rain of the preceding night. The body
was dressed in neat clOthes-blue flannel
shirt, gray pantalOOns and vest brown
sack coat and cotton socks. On the
ground near by was a brown stiff hat and
pair of new gaiter shoes. Mr.. Stau
| bach left his son who had accompanied
hun, with the body, while he went for
Coroner Halves. The coroner returned
with him, took down the body and sent
it to Undertaken knox's rooms on TWEEN
/ tieth street.
/ Coroner Hqwes then summoned Jury
composed of Marion E. Sweeney fore
mani. John Brennan, Basiius Winter,
/ Daniel DAILY, Patrick J. Carey and Francis
/ Meeuau, and o'clock in the afternoon
the inquest was held. Mr.. Staub4ch was
the first witness examined, and his testi-
mOny Cogroborated the above statement
of facts.
The next witness was August Scher-
nan, aged twenty four, butcher living
on Fourth avenue, between Twenty
second and Twenty third streets Had
worked for Mrs. Heorath at above place
OF residence tor the past seven months
Deceased whom he knew as Joe was al
work there when he commenced Did moi
know the last name of the deceased
Joe" quit working for Mrs. Heorath on
October IA last, and he expected to start
up in the sausage business soon his own
account The deceased was of sober ant
industrious habits, but quick tempered
Witness did no: think deceased had muci
ready means, but was expecting so.n,
from The old country. Witness though
he had brother in California and 1
cousin in Chicago He had occasiona
melancholy spells. Witness knew of n,
reason for the suicide, and in his opinion
deceased was twenty -four wears ai age
and had been ia this country six years.
Casper Merk, aged thirty-fouf, saloon
keeper on Fourth avenue between Tween
y-tirst and Twenty second streets, Wa
sworn Had known the deceased 70
five months. His name was JOSEPH
Hofhange. Deceased had fre9nented hi
saloon-wss sober and pleasant Fl
took an occasional glass of beer, but wit
ness never knew him to be intoxicated
After he had left Mrs. Heoraths, he ha
said he was afraid Mrs. II. would Aav
him arrested for something he had sal
derogatory of her to the other butchers
Witness told him he would bail him OF
under such circumstances but Joe" W.
downcast and replied that he could say
that trouble by jumping into the river
About three months ago witness ha
agreed to employ him as foreman in b
sausage shop, and was to have con
menced work tomorrow (this MondS!
morning. Witness built small shop G
- Fourth avenue between Twenty>first NJ
Twenty second streets, for that purpose
Then witness continues: He seemed
be afraid the other butchers would con
bine against him for starting in the 81
sage business. He said that thoughts
this bothered him and he could not ca
He got SIT and some cents from Mr.
Heorath on the 14th inst. paid me s
and bought some tools, but don't kuG
what he did with the rest. He "
around in Davenport. | last saw b
Friday evening about O'Clock, when
left my place to 60 to his boarding hou
at the City Hotel. He was greatly d
couraged, but gave no reason. When
= left he said, 1 will see you after suppe
That was the last saw of him. Yest'
day sent to the City Hotel for him a
the landlord said he had not seen hi
since Friday evening at supper time
William J. Gamble, aged forty-tv
and superintendent of the Moline Il Re-
Island horse railway, testified to havi
known the deceased for about six mont
Last saw him alive between auC
O'Clock Friday afternoon on Fourth a
nue., between Twenty first and Tween
second streets, near the shops Mr.. NJ
was building for the manufacture of s
sage "Joe," as he was called, told v
ness then that he was going into busin'
but he acted strar gely and seemed
coursged. He looked downhearted q
had little to say.
This was as far as the coroner's inuI
was able to trace the whereabouts of
deceased until he was found hanging
the tree in the old burying grou
Where he was in the meantime will pr
ably always remain mystery. Hofha
hoo d;ad a utrununr in a stran0a land